As Milos Raonic continues to make waves in Memphis, fellow Canadian Rebecca Marino isn’t going unnoticed either. She hit 14 aces in her quarterfinal win over CoCo Vandeweghe and will face Evgeniya Rodina in her first WTA semifinal. This is the first time Marino has been seeded at a tournament (she's No. 6), and she’s the last seed standing. We caught up with Marino, who this January broke into the Top 100 for the first time, before her Friday semi:
TENNIS.com: How does it feel to be seeded here and to be the last seed left?
Rebecca Marino: It is exciting being seeded for the first time in a WTA tournament, but there’s also a little pressure that comes with it. I think I’ve coped well. I hope I can live up to my ranking, and I hope I can be ranked in other tournaments as well.
Who’s your favorite men’s player? You were tweeting a bit during Milos Raonic’s match last night.
Nadal is such a great player and Federer too—I have to mention them, of course. Milos is really good, he’s up-and-coming. I think he’s getting a lot of attention lately. I hope he’ll do well. I love supporting other Canadians.
Do you feel there are similarities in your game?
Yeah, a little bit—big serve, pretty good from the baseline. But he comes to net a lot more than me. That’s something I want to do, but maybe not as much as him. In the men’s game you have to be a little bit forceful with that.
Who’s your favorite women’s player?
I liked Capriati when I was younger, but I don’t remember much of how she played. And Davenport had a great game style of tennis similar to how I play, I think. It’s nice to see she’s a big, taller girl and did amazingly well throughout her career.
You’re 20. What are your thoughts on Caroline Wozniacki and Petra Kvitova, two other 20-year-olds getting a lot of attention right now?
They’re great players and still young. It’s great seeing them being so successful. Caroline forces everyone to win the point. She just works so hard during the point—she moves everywhere and hits great shots. Petra’s up-and-coming. I haven’t really seen how she plays as much. But it’s always a benefit being left-handed. I always wish I was, because both my parents are left-handed. I’m right-handed, and my brother’s right-handed. I’m like…why?!
What kind of stuff do you get asked on Twitter?
I always get a lot of questions about my height. I’m 6’1” and a bit but my coach doesn’t think so. He’s always like, “No, you’re 6’2”. You’re the same height as me.” I’m always like, “No, I’m not—get the measuring tape.” I’m 6’1”, which is super-tall for a girl. It’s good for tennis.
What went through your mind when you realized you’d play Venus Williams in the second round of last year’s U.S. Open?
When I looked at the draw I didn’t know I’d be playing her; I didn’t look at the second round. A reporter told me. I thought it was a challenge, but I was up for it. There’s always a small percentage of a chance, so I figured I’d just try and play as well as I could. Her groundstrokes are just so heavy, and it’s difficult to stay in the rally. But the serve is just…incredible.
Admit it—going into the match with Venus, were you a little curious about what she’d wear?
I was a little bit, because I’d heard of some of the crazy outfits. I think she had a little malfunction [during our match]. One of the straps kind of broke, I found out after. She has some pretty crazy outfits. I mean, it’s gutsy to wear that sort of thing. And total kudos to her for that.
Do you look over at your opponents to see how they initially react to your serves?
Sometimes I can see it, like after I hit an ace. Yesterday Sorana Cirstea would look over at her coach like, “What can I do?” That’s always a pretty good feeling. Everyone has different reactions to it, but usually they don’t like it too much when I serve some aces.
Do you ever look over at the speed gun after you serve?
Not too often. I don’t want to think about that. Because when I think about the speed, I want to go faster and faster. And that’s kind of stupid—I don’t want to blow my shoulder out. But occasionally I’ll look over.
Who are some of your close friends on tour?
A lot of the Canadians. I like them a lot, and we spend a lot of time with each other. And I have to say Alison Riske is just a sweetheart. She is amazing. Just to be so genuinely nice all the time—the way she is—is amazing.
Let’s talk about your girl Aleksandra Wozniak. She changes her hair color a lot. What color do you like best for her?
Ooh, I hope she doesn’t get mad, but I personally prefer brunette on her. I think it suits her skin color. But she can pull off blonde too.
Who’s the best-looking Canadian in the world?
I’m not sure. I like to think a lot of Canadians are pretty good-looking, genetically. [laughs]